This rich and creamy tomato tortellini soup is the ultimate comfort Italian recipe. It’s packed with veggies and it’s a healthy and easy recipe to make in less than 30 minutes.
Personally, I adore the easiness of using pre-made fresh tortellini for this recipe. In general, I always buy a pack for my weekly groceries. It comes handy to make this recipe, tortellini al forno, or with just some san marzano sauce.
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Is this Tuscan Tortellini soup healthy?
At its core, it’s a health-ish recipe. You can make it completely healthy removing some ingredients and adding extra veggies to the soup.
The first ingredient that adds extra calories and fat is the heavy cream. So, this recipe can be made with little to no cream— I use only three tbsp. I like to add some creaminess but you don’t need huge amounts of heavy cream to get that effect. But, you can eliminate it altogether.
You can eliminate the sausage if you want to get a healthier soup.
Besides these two ingredients, the rest of the soup is pretty healthy and you can eat without guilt.
Some Veggie ideas to add:
- Spinach or kale
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Carrot
- Zucchini
- Potatoes
- Celery
What type of tortellini to use?
I highly suggest you use fresh tortellini instead of dry. Fresh egg pasta is more buttery and has way better flavor and texture. I really enjoy using Buitoni tortellini.
Another option is frozen tortellini.
The filling is all about personal preferences. The best fillings for this recipe are ricotta and spinach, bolognese, or cheese.
The time of cooking will vary according to the type of tortellini you choose.
Fresh tortellini: 2 minutes before serving.
Frozen tortellini: 5-6 minutes before serving.
I always add the tortellini with the cream and the spinach just a few minutes before serving. This way the spinach is tender but not mushy.
Can tortellini soup be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this tortellini soup without the tortellini. When the tortellini is fully cooked before freezing, it will disintegrate when reheated. So, you can make the soup without adding the spinach and tortellini. And when you reheat it, just add the pasta and spinach. It will be as good as the day you made it.
- 1 small onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small bell pepper
- 1 carrot
- 2 sausages (Italian, chorizo or linguiça)
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 300 gr fresh tortellini
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- ½ tbsp thyme
- ½ tbsp oregano
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
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Chop the onion into small cubes. Mince the garlic. Dice the bell pepper. Peel and cut the carrot into thin rounds. Cut the sausages into rounds.
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In a big pot add the olive oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, sausage, and carrot. Saute for a couple of minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
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Add the crushed tomatoes and season with thyme, oregano, pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to bubble. Pour the chicken broth. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
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Add the tortellini, spinach, and heavy cream. Cover with a lid and let them cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Serve.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.